Incendiary projectile.



J. F. BUCKINGHANI. 1 INCENDIARY PROJECTILE. 4 APPLICATION man 1u1Y2.1917.

' Patented Apr. 22,1919.

JAMES FRANK BUGKINGHAM, F COVENTBY, ENGLAND.

INCENDIABY PaoJEcTrLE.

Speciiication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

Application led July 2, 1917. Serial No. 178,266.

` To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES FRANK BUCK- INGHAM, a subject of the King ofEngland, residing at Coventry, Warwickshire, England, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Incendiary Projectiles, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to incendiary bullets, shells and the like, ofthe kind in which the bullet contains an incendiary substance which isejected from the bullet when it leaves the barrel. In patentspecification No. 178,264 it'is stated that in some cases the outletsfrom the bullet case may be formed at the side instead of at the rear sothat the contents of the bullet case are not exposed to the force of theexplosion of the cartridge and cannot escape until the bullet has leftthe barrel. l

` It is the object of this invention to provide an improved constructionembodying this feature, in which the contents are thoroughly protectedfrom the force of the explosion and also cannot come into contact withand damage the interior of the barrel.

According to the present invention, the lateral hole or holes contain aclosure which is released by the heat of the explosion but as theclosures are in the side of the bullet they cannot be dislodged untilthe bullet is free of the barrel. The closing substance may be a plug ofmetal, etc., which melts when the cartridge is ired or it may be a solidlug retained by a fusible solder.

In lhe accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view showing abullet constructed in accordance with this invention just leaving thebarrel.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the bullet after it has left thebarrel.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing a modication.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

In both constructions the bullet case A is arranged to containphosphorus or some other suitable substance which liquelies owing to theheat conducted through the walls from the explosion of the cartridges,and is then ready to be ejected through one or more outlets either in aliaming condition, or to burst into llame directl it comes in contactwith the air. The out et B is made in the side of the bullet and isclosed by a plug Z I of some easily melted substance such as a solderwhich will be melted automatically by the heat conducted to it. Onfiring the cartrldge this solder will melt, but it and the contents ofthe bullet will not escape until the bullet leaves the barrel C as willbe clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2. In Fig. 1 it will be noticed that theplug Z is retained by the barrel. In Fig. 2 the melted plu has beendispersed and the bullet is in ight, ejecting the contents through thehole B. The incendiary contents Vselected expand considerably whenheated and when used in a rilled barrel the internal pressure due to theheat conducted to them, added to the centrifugal action, causes thecontentsto bev violently ejected and finely distributed so thata uniformeffect is obtained.

In the alternative construction shown in Fig. 3 the hole B is onlyindirectly closed by the fusible substance. In each outlet B is placed anon-fusible` plug D or the like and this is held in place by an easilyfusible solder.

Thus the rear end of the .bullet can be permanently closed by a plug Eand the contents are fullyprotected from the force of explosion of thecartridge, and the barrel protected from Contact with the incendiarysubstance.

In some cases it may be desirable that the lateral hole be placed nearthe front of the bullet so that a short time may elapse before the heatis .conducted along' the bullet. The result is that the ilame does notappear until the bullet has traveled a certain distance away from therie or gun. This is of advantagein some cases as it does not venable theposition of the n to be so easily traced.

AConsequently the ocation of the outlet or outlets with regard to thelength of the bullet determines the moment at which the ame commences.

The invention is applicable to traders' as well as to incendiary bulletsand shells.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. A hollow projectile comprising a hollow shell having an opening inthe side, a plug for the rear of the shell, easily meltable incendiarysubstance within the shell and a fusible substance plugging the entranceto the opening, for the purpose specified.

2. A hollow projectile comprising a hollow shell having an opening inthe side, a plug for the rear of the shell, easily meltable incendiarysubstance-within the shell, a plug Within the opening and a, fusible.substance keeping the plug in place, for the purpose specified.

3. A hollow projectile comprising a hollow shell having an opening inthe side, a, plug for the rear of the shell, easily meltableincendiary-substance within the shell, a non-fusible plug within theopening and 'a' fusible substance keeping the' plug in place, 1

for the purpose specified.

-Witnessesz ALBERT BROWN ANNm L. WAD

I have signedV my BUOKINGHAM.

1n the presence of

